Firstly I would like to apologise for the major delay since my last post, however I am now in a position to continue sharing my story! As an update, I currently am working at a smaller 60 employees firm (Company 5) and no longer at the big four (Company 4)!

To backtrack a little from my last post, having reached a point just as I had imagined back at university, on a great training scheme to complete my ATT (tax qualification), I was finally thinking that all this hard work was finally paying off. Not only was it paying off, but I have gained a significant amount of experience throughout and a clearly unique path. Both pre and post graduation, the most frustrating situation to be in was to continuously compare myself to other people in my intake. However, looking at it now I can see that my alternative path leading up to a training scheme at a large firm has brought me great experience, friends and exposure to many personalities.

PROGRESSION POINTER 9: Whatever route you find yourself following after graduation, never compare yourself to your peers from school, university or even family members. Follow the path you set yourself, setting your own goals and targets as if there is no-one else in the world to compare yourself to.

At the big four firm (Company 4) I was initially overwhelmed by the ‘campus’ feeling which soon turned to be a wonderful feeling after settling in. It was incredible to see the structures that were in place to ensure training continuously developed for employees of all levels.

I’m not going to sit here and write about how to survive and get through work within a corporate environment. But I will tell you what I took away from my two years of experience here. The one thing that always makes me appreciate and smile looking back on experiences at all my previous work places … is the people.

Never would I have thought that the people surrounding me, whether it be the hilarious cashier colleague at my supermarket role who worked beside me (who is by far the most customer-friendly character I’ve known to date), to the senior manager and partners at the big four firm – this is one common trait which always reminds me that everyone is similar no matter what type of workplace environment they work in or status in a company.

PROGRESSION POINTER 10 – You may have heard the phrase ‘networking’ several times, and in our minds we think of trying to impress individuals to land a job or make them proud. For me the definition has completely changed – it is about identifying the individuals who make your life happier both within and outside a workplace environment. You should strive to work in an environment where these people are the norm, and remove all the political drama involved within any workplace environment.

At the big four firm (Company 4) I have found and befriended unique, intelligent, but most importantly down-to-earth friendly individuals who I can see in my life in the long run. Finding this family is the true nature of networking.

In my next blog I will expand upon my own experiences which lead me to this realisation…